Best Marriott credit cards for 2024

If you’re searching for a hotel credit card, Marriott co-branded credit cards can be a great choice. You can use rewards earned with Marriott credit cards in a number of different ways, including for stays at more than 7,000 hotels and resorts worldwide.

Along with the Marriott Bonvoy® program, which allows you to earn points through hotel spending, a Marriott co-branded credit card is one of the easiest ways to regularly earn points. Let’s take a look at some of the best Marriott credit cards available to help you decide which is the best fit for you.

Best Marriott credit cards

Marriott currently offers five different consumer Marriott credit cards and one business option, each of which unlocks a range of benefits and rewards. Here’s a quick look at your options:

Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card: Best for no annual fee

The Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card is ideal for people who want to collect Marriott Bonvoy points without forking over cash to cover an annual fee — which also makes it a good option for fee-conscious travel newbies looking to earn rewards on their Marriott loyalty.

You can earn up to 14X points at Marriott hotels, 2X points on other travel expenses and 1X points on everything else. Essentially, that’s a base rate of 3X points for spending with Marriott Bonvoy, plus up to 10X points if you’re a Marriott Bonvoy member and an additional 1X points with Silver Elite status (which you earn automatically as a Bonvoy Bold cardmember).

Pros

• Automatic Silver Elite status
• 15 Elite Night credits each calendar year
• No annual fee

Cons

• No rewards on everyday spending
• No Free Night Awards

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card: Best for entry-level Marriott loyalists

The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card charges an annual fee of $95, a fair price for up to 17X points on Marriott purchases, and you’ll also earn rewards on grocery store, gas station and dining purchases.

Similar to the Bonvoy Bold, you’ll enjoy automatic Silver Elite status at Marriott. But unlike the Bold, each year on your cardmember anniversary, you’ll earn an annual Free Night Award (each night up to 35,000 points). For a limited time you’ll also benefit from the welcome bonus of earning 5 Free Night Awards (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after spending $5,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.

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Pros

• Free Night Awards welcome bonus
• Annual anniversary Free Night Award
• 15 Elite Night credits each calendar year, plus an additional Elite Night Credit for every $5,000 spent
• Automatic Silver Elite status

Cons

• $95 annual fee

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card: Best for luxury hotel perks

Carrying a $650 annual fee, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card is the priciest card on this list — it should, however, offer impressive ongoing value. Enjoy up to $300 in statement credits each year of card membership for eligible restaurant purchases as well as an annual credit of up to $100 for a two-night stay at Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis hotels.

Other perks include complimentary Platinum Elite status, a Free Night Award every year after your card renewal month (up to 85,000 points), 25 Elite Night credits each calendar year, one Earned Choice Award perk (after spending $60,000 in a calendar year), up to $100 in credits toward Global Entry or TSA PreCheck and Priority Pass Select lounge access.

And in terms of rewards, you can earn up to 21X points on Marriott purchases, plus points at restaurants and on directly-booked airfare.

Pros

• $300 Bonvoy Brilliant dining credit and $100 luxury property credit
• Annual Free Night Award (up to 85,000 points) and one Earned Choice Award
• 25 Elite Night credits each calendar year
• Automatic Platinum Elite status

Cons

• Hefty $650 annual fee
• $300 statement credit recently switched from Marriott purchases to restaurant purchases

Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful and Bevy: Best for eating in and dining out

The Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful Credit Card and Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express Card are nearly identical, other than the fact that they have two separate credit card issuers and differing welcome bonuses. For a $250 annual fee, cardholders can earn up to 18.5X points on Marriott purchases. But what makes either of these cards ideal for foodies is their earning rates on eating in and dining out: 4X points on grocery store and dining purchases (on up to $15,000 in combined purchases each year, then 2X points) — the highest rates offered on these purchases out of all Marriott credit cards.

Additional perks of both cards include complimentary Gold Elite status (which allows you to secure up to 18.5X points on Marriott purchases), Elite Night Credits each year, a Free Night Award and more.

Pros

• Complimentary Gold Elite status
• Free Night Award (each night up to 50,000 points) when you spend $15,000 per year
• 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year
• 1,000 bonus points with each qualifying stay

Cons

• $250 annual fee
• Lacks more premium travel perks like travel statement credits or lounge access, unlike similar cards

Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card: Best for business owners

The Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card has an annual fee of $125 but offers a generous rewards rate on a variety of spending outside of just travel and hotel stays — making it a smart choice for business owners or entrepreneurs on the go. In addition to the up to 18.5X points you can earn on Marriott purchases, you can earn rewards on wireless telephone services, shipping, restaurants and gas.

This business credit card unlocks several perks, including automatic Gold Elite status, Free Night Awards, Elite Night Credits and more. There’s also a few business-specific perks, like the ability to connect to QuickBooks, designate an account manager, access a year-end summary and monitor employees’ card usage.

Pros

• Free Night Award (each night up to 35,000 points) each year after your card renewal month
• Additional Free Night Award after spending $60,000 in a calendar year
• Complimentary Gold Elite status
• 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year

Cons

• $125 annual fee

How to choose a Marriott credit card

With a number of great Marriott credit cards to choose from, the best one for you will depend on a few different factors:

• Cost. Marriott cards offer a wide range of annual fees, so you’ll have to decide how much you’re willing to pay and what benefits make an annual fee worth it.
• Elite status. Is elite status important to you, and what kind of perks are you interested in receiving through it? If you want to unlock Gold Elite status or higher, you may want to look toward the Bonvoy Bevy or Bountiful. And if you want even better perks, consider the Brilliant.
• Rewards categories. Do you want to earn points mostly via hotel spending, or are you also looking to earn points on things like dining, groceries and gas? If you want more generous rewards rates on purchases outside of the travel category, steer toward the Boundless, Bevy or Bountiful (or, of course, the Bonvoy Business for small-business owners).
• Hotel loyalty. If you mainly stay at Marriott hotels, it can make sense to get a Marriott credit card. However, if you prefer to try different hotels or simply look for the best price, a more flexible travel credit card may be a better fit for you.

The bottom line

Marriott Bonvoy credit cards have some great benefits to unlock for loyalists of the hotel program. And with any of the Marriott credit cards above, you can earn elite status just for being a cardholder, unlocking benefits to make your stay more enjoyable.

That being said, if you’re on the fence about any of the options above, take the time to look through our list of the best hotel credit cards — which include cards outside of the co-branded landscape.